chlorine
nitrogen
gold
silver
oxygen
mercury
hydrogen
helium
sodium
niobium
neodymium
carbon
 Science has come along
way since Aristotle’s
theory of Air, Water,
Fire, and Earth.
 Scientists have identified
90 naturally occurring
elements, and created
about 28 others.
 The elements, alone
or in combinations,
make up our bodies,
our world, our sun,
and in fact, the entire
universe.
 The periodic table organizes the elements in a particular
way. A great deal of information about an element can be
gathered from its position in the period table.
 For example, you can predict with reasonably good
accuracy the physical and chemical properties of the
element. You can also predict what other elements a
particular element will react with chemically.
 Understanding the organization and plan of the periodic
table will help you obtain basic information about each of
the 118 known elements.
 Elements are organized on
the table according to their
atomic number, usually found
near the top of the square.
 The atomic number refers
to how many protons an
atom of that element has.
 For instance, hydrogen has
1 proton, so it’s atomic
number is 1.
 The atomic number is
unique to that element.
No two elements have the
same atomic number.
 Different periodic tables
can include various bits
of information, but
usually:
atomic number
symbol
atomic mass
number of valence
electrons
 state of matter at room
temperature.




Families
 All of the matter in the universe is made up of the 118
elements on the Periodic Table.
We group these elements in many different ways.
 There are “blocks” of
elements that all have
similarities.
 There are also “periods”
of elements that are in
the same horizontal row.
 Metals are good conductors of




heat and electricity.
Metals are shiny.
Metals are ductile (can be
stretched into thin wires).
Metals are malleable (can be
pounded into thin sheets).
A chemical property of metal
is its reaction with water
which results in corrosion.
 Non-metals are poor




Sulfur
conductors of heat and
electricity.
Non-metals are not
ductile or malleable.
Solid non-metals are
brittle and break easily.
They are dull.
Many non-metals are
gases.
 Metalloids (metal-like) have
properties of both metals
and non-metals.
 They are solids that can be
shiny or dull.
 They conduct heat and
electricity better than nonmetals but not as well as
metals.
 They are ductile and
malleable.
Silicon
 Columns of elements are called
groups or families.
 Elements in each family have
similar but not identical
properties.
 For example, lithium (Li),
sodium (Na), potassium (K),
and other members of family
IA are all soft, white, shiny
metals.
 All elements in a family have
the same number of valence
electrons.
 Each horizontal row of
elements is called a period.
 The elements in a period are
not alike in properties.
 In fact, the properties
change greatly across even
given row.
 The first element in a period
is always an extremely active
solid. The last element in a
period, is always an inactive
gas.
 “Groups” are also made out of the vertical columns.
These elements are very similar.
 The last way we can group the elements is in to
families.
 We are going to focus on these families because they
group together the elements with the most similar
characteristics. Looking at the family will tell you the
most information about an element.
Please take out your copy of The Periodic
Table. Label and Color along as we talk
about each part.
After you have colored and labeled the family
on your Table, fill in the notes about each
family’s characteristics on your “Families of
the Periodic Table” worksheet.
 Start by numbering the periods on the Table.
 The periods are the horizontal rows. Number them 1
through 7.
 Next, number the groups. The groups are the vertical
columns. Number them 1 through 18.
 Periods and Groups are an easy way to locate an element
quickly.
 Start a key for your periodic table here or under your
table:
Every time we color a family, add it to your key.
 The first family we will discuss is the Alkali Metals.
Color them red on your Periodic Table.
Alkali Metals
 All of the alkali metals:
 Are shiny and soft.
 Are highly reactive with other elements.
 Easily lose their outermost electron.
 Can be cut easily.
 In nature, are only found in salts - never by
themselves.
 The most abundant of which is Sodium, which is in the salt we add to
our food! Did you know that sodium is a metal?
 Next, color and label the Alkaline Earth Metals. Color
them green.
Alkaline Earth Metals
 All of the Alkaline Earth Metals:
 Are shiny and silvery-white.
 Are somewhat reactive with other elements.
 Easily lose their two outermost electrons.
 Have low density, melting point, and boiling
point.
 Next, label the Transition Metals. Color them blue.
Transition Metals
 All of the Transition Metals:
 Are malleable and ductile.
 Are very good conductors of heat and electricity
 Are very dense.
 Have a high boiling point and a high melting
point.
 Other than the metals in group 12 – they have
a lower boiling and melting point than the
others. They are liquid at room temperature.
 Now, label the Other Metals. Color them purple.
The Other Metals
 The Other Metals:
 Are the metals that don’t share characteristics
with any other family of metals.
 Are also malleable and ductile.
 Have a semi-high density.
 Are opaque.
 Are solid at room temperature.
 Now, label the Metalloids. Color them orange.
The Metalloids
 The Metalloids:
 Are the elements in between the metals and the
non-metals.
 Share similarities with both metals and nonmetals.
 Most are semi-conductors.
 Now, label the Non-Metals. Color them pink.
The Non-Metals
 All of the Non-Metals:
 Do not conduct heat or electricity well.
 Are very brittle.
 Some are gases, like Oxygen.
 Some are solids, like Carbon.
 Have no luster and reflect no light.
 Next, label the Halogens. Color them light blue.
The Halogens
 All of the Halogens:
 Are non-metallic.
 Are toxic.
 Are highly reactive.
 Occur in solids, liquids, and gases at room
temperature.
 Next, label the Noble Gases. Color them gray.
The Noble Gases
 All of the Noble Gases:
 Almost never react with any other element.
 Have full outer shells.
 Are very stable.
 Are all gases.
 Are odorless and colorless.
 Have low melting and boiling points.
 Lastly, label the Rare Earth Elements. Color them light
green.
The Rare Earth Elements
 All of the Rare Earth Elements:
 Are referred to as the lanthanide and actinide
series.
 Are mostly synthetic (man-made).
 Are a part of group 3 on the Periodic Table.
 Are metals.
 And are sometimes called “Rare Earth Metals”
instead of Rare Earth Elements.
 The hydrogen square sits atop Family AI,
but it is not a member of that family.
Hydrogen is in a class of its own.
 It’s a gas at room temperature.
 It has one proton and one electron in its
one and only energy level.
 Hydrogen only needs 2 electrons to fill up
its valence shell.
 The alkali family is found in
the first column of the
periodic table.
 Atoms of the alkali metals
have a single electron in their
outermost level, in other
words, 1 valence electron.
 They are shiny, have the
consistency of clay, and are
easily cut with a knife.
 They are the most
reactive metals.
 They react violently
with water.
 Alkali metals are
never found as free
elements in nature.
They are always
bonded with another
element.
 They are never found uncombined in nature.
 They have two valence electrons.
 Alkaline earth metals include magnesium and
calcium, among others.
 The Boron Family is named
after the first element in the
family.
 Atoms in this family have 3
valence electrons.
 This family includes a
metalloid (boron), and the
rest are metals.
 This family includes the most
abundant metal in the earth’s
crust (aluminum).
 Atoms of this family have 4
valence electrons.
 This family includes a nonmetal (carbon), metalloids,
and metals.
 The element carbon is called
the “basis of life.” There is an
entire branch of chemistry
devoted to carbon compounds
called organic chemistry.
 The nitrogen family is named
after the element that makes up
78% of our atmosphere.
 This family includes nonmetals, metalloids, and metals.
 Atoms in the nitrogen family
have 5 valence electrons. They
tend to share electrons when
they bond.
 Other elements in this family
are phosphorus, arsenic,
antimony, and bismuth.
 Atoms of this family have 6
valence electrons.
 Most elements in this family
share electrons when forming
compounds.
 Oxygen is the most abundant
element in the earth’s crust. It
is extremely active and
combines with almost all
elements.
 The elements in this family
are fluorine, chlorine,
bromine, iodine, and
astatine.
 Halogens have 7 valence
electrons, which explains
why they are the most active
non-metals. They are never
found free in nature.
Halogen atoms only need to gain 1
electron to fill their outermost energy
level.
They react with alkali metals to form
salts.